Energy Department Announces $5 Billion Loan for Byron Nuclear Plant Upgrades

BYRON — U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood were in Byron Tuesday as the Department of Energy announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $5 billion to help Constellation Energy upgrade its nuclear power plants. The work is expected to add nearly 1.1 gigawatts of electricity across the company’s nuclear fleet in Illinois, Maryland and Pennsylvania and support more than 10,000 jobs. The Illinois plants included in the plan are Byron, Braidwood, Clinton, Dresden, LaSalle and Quad Cities. The department said the upgrades support President Donald Trump’s goal of increasing electricity generation by 5 gigawatts through improvements to existing nuclear reactors. The loan is conditional, and Constellation must meet technical, legal, environmental and financial requirements before the financing is finalized. Byron’s two reactors began commercial operation in 1985 and 1987. The plant was among two Illinois nuclear facilities slated for closure in 2021 before state lawmakers approved financial support to keep them operating.